Lifting device for heavy,hollow articles such as concrete pipe



Dec. 1, 1970 F. R. STOKES 3,544,151

' LIFTING DEVICE FOR HEAVY, HOLLOW ARTICLES I SUCH AS CONCRETE PIPE I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 23, 1968 V 70 36 J5 r mum/rag ZZ Z 1 3,4 K R. 370 153 5y L04 W A TTOR/Yfi D 1, 1970 F. R. STOKES 3,544,151 C LIFTING DEVICE FOR HEAVY,' HOLLOW ARTICLES 1 SUCH AS CONCRETE PIPE Filed July 23, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet g uwE/v r0& FRA 1Y2 R. 870 155 5) a. W

ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1970 F. R. STOKES 3,544,151

LIFTING DEVICE FOR HEAVY, HOLLOW ARTICLES SUCH AS CONCRETE PIPE I Filed y 1 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 a?! /0 MI m-w 0 FRA/Y A142 7 K aw t s [v E M W 6 A United States Patent 3,544,151 LIFTING DEVICE FOR HEAVY, HOLLOW ARTICLES SUCH AS CONCRETE PIPE Frank R. Stokes, near Tucker, De Kalb County, Ga., as-

signor to Southeast Precast Concrete Products, Inc., Tucker, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed July 23, 1968, Ser. No. 746,943

Int. Cl. B66c 1/00 US. Cl. 294-81 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hydraulically operated pipe lifting device that may be suspended from a chain on the boom of a material handling tractor having a source of hydraulic fluid and pressure with controls to direct the flow. Heavy, hollow, tubular objects like concrete pipe or clay tile pipe, which are fragile, especially when green or uncured, may be easily and properly moved with the present device. A rigid upper frame supports an open outside lifting frame, which may be circular when used with circular pipe, suspended by shackles or chain; and for tapered or conical pipe the rigid frame also supports near the center a shoe arrangement comprising a pair of spaced, hydraulicallyoperated shoes which move in retraction inwardly toward the center and move outwardly for operation to engage the tapered inside of the tapered pipe as the device is lifted. A hydraulic cylinder connects a movable section of the outside lifting frame in such a manner as to permit tightening or loosening of the frame (which does not tighten on conical pipe) around the outside of the object to be lifted by operating the hydraulic cylinder. In the operation, the boom of the vehicle is manipulated to suspend the outside frame around the outside of the object (pipe) to be lifted with the inside shoes inside the object (pipe) facing opposite inside portions. Then the hydraulic controls are actuated to extend the shoes inside the pipe while the outside frame is inactively located on the outside and the boom and tractor manipulated to move the pipe. Release is a reversal of grasping. The outside lifting frame is independent of the inside shoes and vice versa except that hydraulics are simplified.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention A materials handling implement having an adjustable pressure clamp arrangement for fitting outside irregular objects such as hollow, tubular pipe, and combined with an inside jaw arrangement for tapered or conical pipe.

Description of the prior art The known prior art for accomplishing the same result includes fork lift devices which are inserted underneath the pipe for lifting same. These are diflicult to manipulate with concrete pipe and it is troublesome to keep the pipe from tilting or falling without the use of additional chocks and other assistance. Lifting slings, chains, and cables often cause excessive forces on concrete pipe and the like and easily damage same, especially uncured pipe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A materials handling implement for use in connection with a materials handling transportation means such as a tractor having a boom thereon with a cable or chain from which the present implement is suspended there being an outside grasping frame adjusted by a power means, such as a hydraulic cylinder, to tighten and loosen said frame and to adjust said frame to fit around the outside of the object such as a clay or concrete pipe which is to be "ice lifted. The outside frame is suspended loosely by chains or shackles from a rigid support frame to which a cable or chain from the boom is attached and the rigid support frame has attached thereto near the middle thereof a shoe arrangement comprising a pair of shoes operable in opposite directions to engage the inside of the tapered object to be lifted and each shoe being actuated by means of the action and reaction of a common hydraulic cylinder which has the extension piston rod on one end connected to one shoe and the other end connected to the other shoe for simultaneous operation thereof. Suitable hydraulic lines leading from the hydraulic cylinder control the shoes wheninposition. 5

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE nRawiNos Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from a reading of the description of a preferred embodiment hereinafter taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view looking upward into the bottom of the implement of the present invention suspended from a boom.

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevation view of the adjustable portion of the outside frame.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the implement with the jaws extended.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the jaw operation on a pipe interior.

FIG. 6 is a reduced diagrammatic view of the outside grasping frame on a pipe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The implement of the present invention is designated generally and overall by reference numeral 10 which comprises the entire assembly and is adapted to be suspended from a materials handling transportation device Such as a tractor (not shown) of the four wheel variety commonly used around concrete fabricating plants and having a boom 11 with a chain 12 thereon to which is attached a detachable hook and shackle arrangement 14 removably fastened by means of a hook 16 to the present device. Implement 10 comprises a rigid frame having three radially extending arms or legs 20, rigidly welded or otherwise secured to a central core member 22 which has a metal eye 24 in which hook 16 is hooked, and manufactured from heavy, strong metal plate which is tapered for purposes of strength from the center outwardly to the ends. Heavy metal angle iron braces 26 extend between the respective legs or arms 20. Each end of each respective arm 20 is provided with a detachable shackle arrangement 28 including shackle links 30 which are attached to an adjustable outside lifting frame 32 presently of circular steel-plate construction to be used with concrete pipe 34 and manufactured from steel plate formed or bent into circular formation with an open gap circumferentially at one point 36 for purposes of adjustment. Gap 36 is closed by means of metal tongues 38 fitting in respective channels 40 located on the periphery of the circular frame 32 in alternate arrangement as readily seen in FIG. 2. The lifting frame 32 is an outside clamp means for cylindrical pipe and ordinarily is not used to clamp when the inside shoe arrangement 41 described below, is used.

Supported near the center core of the upper frame is a hydraulic lifting shoe arrangement 41 serving as an adjustable inside lifting engaging means and comprising a movable support frame 42 consisting of a pair of links or levers each 44 and each pivotally attached-to one end by pivot 46 to a frame arm 20 and pivotally attached at the other end by pivot 48 to a hydraulic, piston-andcylinder device 50 having a piston rod or shaft 52 on one end thereof actuated by the introduction of hydraulic fluid under pressure therein. Cylinder devices 50 are common inthe art and receive hydraulic pressure to cause the shaft to move. Shoes 56 are attached to the links or levers 44 and extend oppositely from each other upon the actuation of the hydraulic cylinder device 50, which pushes lever 44 on red 52 in one direction and reaction pushes lever 44 on cylinder device 50 in the other direction and in opposite directions approximately radially of the frame 32. The cylinder device 50-extends the shoes 56 about one-fourth inch from sides so that there is no horizontal pressure on the pipe 58 (see FIG. Lifting action begins on vertical displacement of shoes 56 which contact the tapered part 86 of pipe 58.

Stabilizer chains 60 extend from a common chain 62 suspended from the boom 11 to the welded metal tabs 64 to which one end the cylinder 68 of cylinder-and-piston-arrangement 70 is attached and the piston rod 72 is attached to extend and retract (tighten) the band or circle formed by the frame 32 by pulling on respective tabs 64.

In the operation of the device for outside lifting as used on cylindrical pipe 34, the materials handling transportation vehicle and boom 11 is moved into place over -a large pipe 34 and the outside frame is swung into position over the large pipe placing the inside pressure arrangement inside the pipe 34 after which the hydraulic controls are actuated to bring the jaws into engagement with the inside of the pipe. The outside frame is tightened on the outside of the pipe by hydraulic pressure applied to the cylinder which causes the circular member to close with the members closing in the respective channels.

It is worthwhile to note in FIG. 5 that reduced diameter pipe or tapered pipe 58 which has a neck 80 leading from a cylindrical portion 82 of one diameter to an opening 84 of reduced diameter, which creates a slanted or tapered portion 86, may be lifted readily by the present device since the shoes 56 pivot into position with the links 44 until each shoe 56 is almost in contact below the tapered portion 86 and lifting is accomplished by moving the boom 11 to lift the entire device 10 as mentioned before.

Hydraulic fluid is pumped under pressure through hydraulic lines 90, 92 which lead to a hydraulic manifold arrangement designated generally by reference number -94 and having input connections 96 for the respective lines 90, 92 and output connections 98 dividing the input into four outlets each having a respective hose 100 accommodating hydraulic pressure in one direction and another hydraulic line 102 accommodating hydraulic pressure in the other direction so that hydraulic pressure pumped through line 100 causes an extension of the piston rod 52 whereas, hydraulic pressure pumped through line 102 and exiting from line 100 causes a retraction of the piston rod 52 and a retraction of the levers 44 and the shoes 56. There is also a set of lines 100, 102 leading to the hydraulic cylinder 68 whereby fluid pressure pumped through line 100 causes an extension of the piston rod 72 and fluid pressure pumped through the line 102 causes a retraction of the piston rod 72 causing respectively either a tightening or retraction of the circular frame 32 at the gap 36 or a loosening thereof.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention together with a suggested mode of operation and specific use thereof, this is by way of illustration only and does not constitute any sort of limitation on the scope of my invention since various alterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, additions, substitutions, additions, changes and departures may be made in the embodiment shown without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

and cable or other similar means thereon and detachable" means for attachment to said implement to position said implement in place over an object to be lifted such as a hollow concrete pipe:

(a) a support frame,

(b) an outside, adjustable lifting means on said frame openable to fit about said object to be lifted,

(c) an inside, adjustable lifting means simultaneously adjustable in position to contact opposite places on the inside surface of said object to be lifted, said inside lifting means operating only on tapered surfaces of objects to be lifted as said means is lifted relative thereto, and said outside lifting means operating only on nontapered surfaces of objects to be lifted such as straight, cylindrical pipe.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein: said outside, ad-

justable lifting means is a circular band having spaced ends connected by a guide means, and pressure means for bringing said ends towards each other about said cylindrical object.

3. The device in claim 1, wherein: said inside adjustable lifting means is at least two spaced members mounted for movement opposite from each other, and pressure means for driving said members.

4. The device in claim 1, wherein: said outside adjustable lifting means is a circular band having spaced ends connected by a guide means, and pressure means for bringing said ends towards each other about sa d cylindrical object, said inside adjustable lifting means is at least two spaced members mounted for movement opposite from each other, and pressure means for driving said members.

5. The device in claim 4, wherein:

pressure means for bringing said ends towards each other about said cylindrical object is a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement, there belng hydraulic lines leading thereto, the pressure means for driving said members being a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement extendmg between and operating said members, there being bydraulic lines leading to said piston and cylinder arrangement for causing the extension and retraction thereof, the hydraulic lines for both said circular band and said spaced members being simultaneously operated from a remote point.

6. The device in claim 5, wherein:

said circular band is supported by said support frame which comprises a central core having a plurality of structural members extending substantially radially outwardly therefrom and each of a respective outward end of said structural member extending to a position at said circular band and being movably attached thereto to suspend said end therefrom,

the central core having an attachment means thereon whereby a chain and cable may be attached thereto to suspend said frame therefrom.

7. The device claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the inside, adjustable spaced members are mounted beneath the support frame, each of said spaced members being mounted on a respective link member and each respective link member being pivotally attached at spaced positions on said support frame,

said pressure means being a hydraulic piston and cylinder arrangement and the cylinder being connected to one of said link members and the piston being connected to the other whereby extension of the piston causes separation of the link members to bring same into position inside said object to be lifted.

8. The device in claim 7, wherein:

said outside, adjustable lifting means is a circular band suspended from said support frame and having spaced ends connected by a guide means,

and hydraulically operated pressure means for bringing said ends together and for separating said ends about said cylindrical object.

9. The device in claim 8, wherein: said pressure means for bringing said ends towards each other about said cylindrical object is a hydraulic References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS piston and cylinder arrangement, there being hydraulic lines providing hydraulic fluid pressure to said 10 g g piston and cylinder arrangement and other hydrau- 3297353 1/1967 aw e a lic lines providing hydraulic pressure to said piston ar son and cylinder arrangement for said inside, adjustable ANDRES NIELSEN, Primary Examiner lifting means, said hydraulic lines being connected to a common hydraulic source for remote and simul- 15 taneous operation thereof, said inside lifting frame 294-93 US. Cl. X.R. 

